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Ligament: Posterior cruciate ligament

Diagram of the knee
Latin	ligamentum cruciatum posterius genus
Gray's	subject #93 342
From	posterior intercondylar area of the tibia
To	medial condyle of the femur
MeSH	A02.513.514.600
Dorlands/Elsevier	l_09/12492130

The posterior cruciate ligament (or PCL) is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial condyle of the femur. This configuration allows the PCL to resist forces pushing the tibia posteriorly relative to the femur.

In the quadruped stifle (analogous to the human knee), based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the caudal cruciate ligament.^[1]

[edit] Injury

The posterior drawer test is one of the tests used by doctors and physiotherapists to detect injury to the PCL.

Surgery to repair the Posterior Cruciate ligament is controversial due to its placement and technical difficulty.^[2]

[edit] Treatment

The PCL does not heal on its own, so surgery is usually required in complete tears of the ligament. Surgery usually takes place after a few weeks, in order to allow swelling to decrease and regular motion to return to the knee. A procedure called ligament reconstruction is used to replace the torn PCL with a new ligament, which is usually a graft taken from the hamstring or Achilles tendon from a host cadaver. An arthroscope allows a complete evaluation of the entire knee joint, including the knee cap (patella), the cartilage surfaces, the meniscus, the ligaments (ACL & PCL), and the joint lining. Then, the new ligament is attached to the bone of the thigh and lower leg with screws to hold it in place. </ref> http://www.orthspec.com/pdfs/PCL-injuries.pdf